element14 Community
element14 Community
    Register Log In
  • Site
  • Search
  • Log In Register
  • Community Hub
    Community Hub
    • What's New on element14
    • Feedback and Support
    • Benefits of Membership
    • Personal Blogs
    • Members Area
    • Achievement Levels
  • Learn
    Learn
    • Ask an Expert
    • eBooks
    • element14 presents
    • Learning Center
    • Tech Spotlight
    • STEM Academy
    • Webinars, Training and Events
    • Learning Groups
  • Technologies
    Technologies
    • 3D Printing
    • FPGA
    • Industrial Automation
    • Internet of Things
    • Power & Energy
    • Sensors
    • Technology Groups
  • Challenges & Projects
    Challenges & Projects
    • Design Challenges
    • element14 presents Projects
    • Project14
    • Arduino Projects
    • Raspberry Pi Projects
    • Project Groups
  • Products
    Products
    • Arduino
    • Avnet Boards Community
    • Dev Tools
    • Manufacturers
    • Multicomp Pro
    • Product Groups
    • Raspberry Pi
    • RoadTests & Reviews
  • Store
    Store
    • Visit Your Store
    • Choose another store...
      • Europe
      •  Austria (German)
      •  Belgium (Dutch, French)
      •  Bulgaria (Bulgarian)
      •  Czech Republic (Czech)
      •  Denmark (Danish)
      •  Estonia (Estonian)
      •  Finland (Finnish)
      •  France (French)
      •  Germany (German)
      •  Hungary (Hungarian)
      •  Ireland
      •  Israel
      •  Italy (Italian)
      •  Latvia (Latvian)
      •  
      •  Lithuania (Lithuanian)
      •  Netherlands (Dutch)
      •  Norway (Norwegian)
      •  Poland (Polish)
      •  Portugal (Portuguese)
      •  Romania (Romanian)
      •  Russia (Russian)
      •  Slovakia (Slovak)
      •  Slovenia (Slovenian)
      •  Spain (Spanish)
      •  Sweden (Swedish)
      •  Switzerland(German, French)
      •  Turkey (Turkish)
      •  United Kingdom
      • Asia Pacific
      •  Australia
      •  China
      •  Hong Kong
      •  India
      •  Korea (Korean)
      •  Malaysia
      •  New Zealand
      •  Philippines
      •  Singapore
      •  Taiwan
      •  Thailand (Thai)
      • Americas
      •  Brazil (Portuguese)
      •  Canada
      •  Mexico (Spanish)
      •  United States
      Can't find the country/region you're looking for? Visit our export site or find a local distributor.
  • Translate
  • Profile
  • Settings
Robotics
  • Technologies
  • More
Robotics
Blog Project TOBI Comes to a Close as Mind-Controlled Robot Shows 100% Success Rate
  • Blog
  • Forum
  • Documents
  • Quiz
  • Events
  • Polls
  • Members
  • Mentions
  • Sub-Groups
  • Tags
  • More
  • Cancel
  • New
Join Robotics to participate - click to join for free!
  • Share
  • More
  • Cancel
Group Actions
  • Group RSS
  • More
  • Cancel
Engagement
  • Author Author: Catwell
  • Date Created: 10 Dec 2015 8:30 PM Date Created
  • Views 464 views
  • Likes 0 likes
  • Comments 0 comments
  • epfl
  • robotics
  • robot
  • on_campus
  • cabeatwell
  • mind
  • university
  • technology_for_the_disabled
  • brain
  • innovation
Related
Recommended

Project TOBI Comes to a Close as Mind-Controlled Robot Shows 100% Success Rate

Catwell
Catwell
10 Dec 2015

image

European project TOBI came to a close this summer with the EPFL’s successful demonstration of a mind-controlled robot. The study exhibited a 100% success rate, proving that robots can be controlled by thoughts alone – but the technology may die on the vine.  (via EPFL)

 

The European Tools for Brain-Computer Interaction (TOBI) project recently came to a close with a successful demonstration of mind-controlled robotic capabilities. The seven-year-long, € 20 million project may revolutionize robotic technology for persons with disabilities, if another innovator is only willing to carry the torch.

 

image

 

The TOBI project began in 2008 as an initiative to explore the capabilities of mind-controlled computers for the disabled. After nearly a decade of work, Swiss research lab and university École polytechnique fédérale de Lausanne (EPFL) recently demonstrated that mind-controlled computers are not a thing of the future – we have the technology right now.

 

The EPFL conducted a study in which 19 participants from Germany, Italy and Switzerland were given electrode-studded hats and asked to try and control a robot located in an EPFL lab using only their thoughts. Nine of the participants were disabled quadriplegics and the remaining ten were healthy. Using only the hat, an internet connection and their thoughts, 100% of the participants successfully controlled the robot.

 

image

 

How it all comes together is impressive. The electrode-studded hat monitors participant brain waves, and makes a spatial map of their thoughts. The robot is trained to avoid obstacles on its own, even if a participant deliberately tries to sabotage it. What’s more, the robot also memorizes the participant’s initial route, and will continue to follow that path until the participant commands it to stop. This way, users may take a break from actively monitoring the actions of the bot.

 

The way in which it works is important for its intent. Project TOBI was specifically initialized with the disabled in-mind. Having physical disabilities, such as being quadriplegic, can make it difficult to socialize during events. This technology provides a way for the handicap to virtually engage with family and friends, from the comfort of their homes.

 

image

 

In theory, the robot is nothing more than a laptop on smart wheels, but the successful completion of the project validates the technology as a means to engage the disabled in the outside world. With the close of the program, however, unless another innovator carries the torch, it will remain a proof-of-concept.

 

The EPFL stated if insurance companies were willing to cover the expense of the robot for disabled persons, its production could be feasible. Since most insurance companies don’t want to fund seemingly normal health care services, however, that may be a pipe dream.


You don't have permission to edit metadata of this video.
Edit media
x
image
Upload Preview
image


See more news at:

http://twitter.com/Cabe_Atwell

  • Sign in to reply
element14 Community

element14 is the first online community specifically for engineers. Connect with your peers and get expert answers to your questions.

  • Members
  • Learn
  • Technologies
  • Challenges & Projects
  • Products
  • Store
  • About Us
  • Feedback & Support
  • FAQs
  • Terms of Use
  • Privacy Policy
  • Legal and Copyright Notices
  • Sitemap
  • Cookies

An Avnet Company © 2025 Premier Farnell Limited. All Rights Reserved.

Premier Farnell Ltd, registered in England and Wales (no 00876412), registered office: Farnell House, Forge Lane, Leeds LS12 2NE.

ICP 备案号 10220084.

Follow element14

  • X
  • Facebook
  • linkedin
  • YouTube